Would I have even meet the UK guys or Kush and Sean, and others from the west coast if it had not been for his group. Or the guys I bump into while fishing thought the years. We are in transition it seems to me. Fishing is about fishing! But there is more. This spring has been an important time for me personally. And not only that, but one of my ups! is that the Penguin is comining over tomorrow nigh with pizza. Part of what I try to do with my new fly fishing "students" is to try to instill in them that it is not all about catching fish but about the people that you met and the "process" more than the fishing it self.... Juro ...do you really know what you have actually createrd?????f. I think most of us know that.. But as the years go by our children will know...... PS.. if anybody thinks I am sappy.. I can discus it with you some morning at the lighthouse when there are no witnesses.

It really has been a great venture - but in reality I just put up a canvas - the true artists are those who show up to paint an ever-changing portait of the ideals and dreams of the flyfishing universe. OK I've made a few paint streaks of my own too but without the array of colors, creativity and camaraderie brought about by the whole group there is no Forum.

Let's make each year better than the last, and maybe we'll take something with us from the experience that we can all look back on when we're too old to make the walk from the southway, pull our oars through a class IV gorge or climb the cliff into the Deadline pool - something that will make us say "we sure had great times with great friends"... and I'm sure the folks we say that to are the friends we make today.

Sounds good to me... but the the person that put the canvas up is KEY!... This is fundamental!.. Anyway.. when I first met you with a 2 foot son, you had some sort of "gaudy" decievers well before the "Deep Eel"...., at the light house..... I had the Harry Koons Rats ass. and we both looked at each other like we both had no chance... Those are the meomories I think are important...... and the "first rip trp". Get down here sooon.!!!!

As my late father in law said:"Life is about the people you meet." The guys on the Forum have been some of the greatest fishermen that I've met. For example, at the Spring Clave no one complained about the weather!! I know of another group of fishermen who would never venture out in a storm like that.
We also would have never met Jim Sims and got invited to the Saloon. In addition, I would not have a job as the Iron Man's Rod Caddie.
FishHawk

Speaking for myself and Amy....we could not agree more! Just a great group of people, willing to hook up for the day, share info and techniques and just enjoy being out there enjoying the sport and each other. So happy that 4 years ago that I bumped into Pete Grey and was informed about the forum! I was a rookie then...and will forever be thankful for all those who shared their knowledge to the newbie. What I've tried to do is ...."pass it on" to others who are now where I was 4 yrs ago......that to me, is what the forum is about.
Ron

the true artists are those who show up to paint an ever-changing portait of the ideals and dreams of the flyfishing universe.

Well, we were artist - but of a different kind after we left the Squire on a few evenings last week!

Seriously though, without this and other forums it wouldn't nearly be so much fun. The comradeship it builds is unique and goes hand in hand with the fishing these days. I enjoyed meeting people from this forum as much as I did catching the fish I had just flown over 3500 miles for!

When I joined this forum years ago I never once thought I would enjoy actually meeting people from the forum. Guys like me from the old school of striper fishing and PNW steelheading are secretive about our fishing. But over the years here I have found that one can still be as crusty as always and yet enjoy the fishing company of others who may or may not be as crusty as me. I have come to enjoy taking East Coasters, all from the forum out steelheading on our beautiful Northwest rivers. It has been truely a wonderful experience to give or share a little bit of your private fishing world. Sort of like taking a kid fishing for the first time. And the true beauty of flytalk is that we have become a functional family who still respect others and their space.
Thanks Juro for everything you have worked so hard for. Thanks Sinktip for introducing me to Flytalk. Through this site I have met friends for life like moonlight, Sean and many others.

As I read this thread it made me try to go back and think about all of the people from here that I've met and/or fished with. It's a high number, one that couldn't have been achieved in other ways. We always meet people on the water and at shows and shops, but the Forum has accelerated that process for many of us.

Was actually just talking about this with my wife last night. I have met some truly great guys here in the PNW all due to this forum. I would not trade any of those friendships for anything.

My family is making the move to the east coast in a couple months. My wife is from the area but I have no ties there at all. However knowing all the friends I have over there it is going to make the move very easy. Without this site that just would not be the case.

Hell I already have 4 offers to fish when I get over there. Just a testament to the comaderie on the site. We all take care of our own!

Goes both ways bro, if not for the site we would not have hooked up with you when we needed someone to do the heavy lifting in a bad way. In many ways you saved the site, and Speypages too when we were joined at the hip. That's some serious lifting dude!

Meeiting the both of you (and many others) during my 10 days in the Cape with the UK guys, was an experience I shall never forget, the knowledger gleaned prior to the trip, by corresponding and listening to you guys was fundamental in making the trip as successful as it was. Not just the knowledge but the shared enthusiasm and comradeship was a delight, not forgetting the Saloon, Jim S and the Penquin, what a phella.

Thank you so much, for the site, the fellowship and the fishing.

I'll be back next year (2nd Moon tide June, thanks Juro).

It would not have been possible, without this forum and our small cluster across the pond.

Sappy as it may be I'll gladly serve as striblue's second on lighthouse beach.

Trying to think how I got here. Back in the 90's I thought the internet was a time robber with not much substance and any kind of discussion group was for "get a lifer's". One day during lunch at work, for yucks, I went on the company intranet site and followed a link to a page of links (ceoexpress). Found some interesting stuff, primarily through furthur links like http://www.boat-links.com/boatlink.html. Finally found my way to Virtual flyshop. Lots of good info but it was awile before before I bothered to look at thier bullitin board. Eventually I found a reference to reel-time and that was it, I became a shameless lurker. I was just getting into the saltwater flyfishin thing and reel-time was loaded with info and talk of places I knew. Especially enlightening were a couple of eastern european guy's, Josko (must be from the balkens I thought) and Juro (must be Czeck). Reading Juro's stuff provided a quick ride up the bottom of the learning curve. I was amazed at the info content (to the annoyance of a lot of folks, I'm sure). Anyhow, I was impressed and followed him over here to lurk.

I've met a lot of fine people and none that I can say I dislike. We all have our warts. With time some move on and I'm sorry not to see them as much but that's the way it goes. A few I really miss, like striblues first fishin caddy. I hope he's feeling better.

Love that Picture!!!!...Service above and beyond!...Thaks for the pizza , Pete...sorry I started falling asleep... 5 minutes after you left...Shadfreak and Bonefishmon stoped by and was initiated....then I started to fall asleep with them....But got a picture of Bonefishmon with the traditional Fez and coffee cup from the Chatham Bars Inn with the famous UK gift scotch...